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Li L, Zhang G, Yang Z, Kang X. Stress-Activated Protein Kinases in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Unraveling the Impact of JNK and p38 MAPK. Biomolecules 2024; 14:393. [PMID: 38672411 PMCID: PMC11047866 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major cause of lower back pain. The pathophysiological development of IDD is closely related to the stimulation of various stressors, including proinflammatory cytokines, abnormal mechanical stress, oxidative stress, metabolic abnormalities, and DNA damage, among others. These factors prevent normal intervertebral disc (IVD) development, reduce the number of IVD cells, and induce senescence and apoptosis. Stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs), particularly, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), control cell signaling in response to cellular stress. Previous studies have shown that these proteins are highly expressed in degenerated IVD tissues and are involved in complex biological signal-regulated processes. Therefore, we summarize the research reports on IDD related to JNK and p38 MAPK. Their structure, function, and signal regulation mechanisms are comprehensively and systematically described and potential therapeutic targets are proposed. This work could provide a reference for future research and help improve molecular therapeutic strategies for IDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.L.); (G.Z.); (Z.Y.)
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopedics Disease of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
- The International Cooperation Base of Gansu Province for the Pain Research in Spinal Disorders, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Guangzhi Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.L.); (G.Z.); (Z.Y.)
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopedics Disease of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
- The International Cooperation Base of Gansu Province for the Pain Research in Spinal Disorders, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Zhili Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.L.); (G.Z.); (Z.Y.)
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopedics Disease of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
- The International Cooperation Base of Gansu Province for the Pain Research in Spinal Disorders, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Xuewen Kang
- Department of Orthopedics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.L.); (G.Z.); (Z.Y.)
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopedics Disease of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
- The International Cooperation Base of Gansu Province for the Pain Research in Spinal Disorders, Lanzhou 730030, China
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Zhang P, He J, Gan Y, Shang Q, Chen H, Zhao W, Cui J, Shen G, Li Y, Jiang X, Zhu G, Ren H. Unravelling diagnostic clusters and immune landscapes of cuproptosis patterns in intervertebral disc degeneration through dry and wet experiments. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:15599-15623. [PMID: 38159257 PMCID: PMC10781477 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Cuproptosis is a manner of mitochondrial cell death induced by copper. However, cuproptosis modulators' molecular processes in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) are still unclear. To better understand the processes of cuproptosis regulators in IDD, a thorough analysis of cuproptosis regulators in the diagnostic biomarkers and subtype determination of IDD was conducted. Then we collected clinical IDD samples and successfully established IDD model in vivo and in vitro, and carried out real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validation of significant cuproptosis modulators. Totally we identified 8 crucial cuproptosis regulators in the present research. Using a random forest model, we isolated 8 diagnostic cuproptosis modulators for the prediction of IDD risk. Then, based on our following decision curve analysis, we selected the five diagnostic cuproptosis regulators with importance scores greater than two and built a nomogram model. Using a consensus clustering method, we divided IDD patients into two cuproptosis clusters (clusterA and clusterB) based on the important cuproptosis regulators. Additionally, each sample's cuproptosis value was evaluated using principal component analysis in order to quantify the cuproptosis clusters. Patients in clusterB had higher cuproptosis scores than patients in clusterA. Moreover, we found that clusterB was involved in the immunity of natural killer cell, while clusterA was related to activated CD4 T cell, activated B cell, etc. Notably, cuproptosis modulators detected by RT-qPCR showed generally consistent expression levels with the bioinformatics results. To sum up, cuproptosis modulators play a crucial role in the pathogenic process of IDD, providing biomarkers and immunotherapeutic approaches for IDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Jiahui He
- The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, China
| | - Yanchi Gan
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Qi Shang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Honglin Chen
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Wenhua Zhao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Jianchao Cui
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Gengyang Shen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Suzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou 215007, China
| | - Xiaobing Jiang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Guangye Zhu
- Suzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou 215007, China
| | - Hui Ren
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
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Zhang P, He J, Gan Y, Shang Q, Chen H, Zhao W, Shen G, Jiang X, Ren H. Plastrum testudinis Ameliorates Oxidative Stress in Nucleus Pulposus Cells via Downregulating the TNF-α Signaling Pathway. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1482. [PMID: 37895953 PMCID: PMC10610230 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundPlastrum testudinis (PT), a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, exerts protective effects against bone diseases such as intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Despite its effectiveness, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of PT on IDD remain unclear. Methods In this study, we used a comprehensive strategy combining bioinformatic analysis with experimental verification to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms of PT against IDD. We retrieved targets for PT and IDD, and then used their overlapped targets for protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. In addition, we used Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses to investigate the anti-IDD mechanisms of PT. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro experiment validations including hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and safranine O-green staining, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) assay, cell immunofluorescence staining, intracellular ROS measurement and Western blot analysis were performed to verify bioinformatics findings. Results We identified 342 and 872 PT- and IDD-related targets (32 overlapping targets). GO enrichment analysis yielded 450 terms related to oxidative stress and inflammatory response regulation. KEGG analysis identified 48 signaling pathways, 10 of which were significant; the TNF-α signaling pathway had the highest p-value, and prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), endothelin-1 (EDN1), TNF-α, JUN and FOS were enriched in this pathway. Histopathological results and safranin O/green staining demonstrated that PT attenuated IDD, and SA-β-gal assay showed that PT ameliorated nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) senescence. An ROS probe was adopted to confirm the protective effect of PT against oxidative stress. Western blot analyses confirmed that PT downregulated the protein expression of PTGS2, EDN1, TNF-α, JUN and FOS in the TNF-α signaling pathway as well as cellular senescence marker p16, proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL6), while PT upregulated the expression of NPC-specific markers including COL2A1 and ACAN in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that PT alleviates IDD by downregulating the protein expression of PTGS2, EDN1, TNF-α, JUN and FOS in the TNF-α signaling pathway and upregulating that of COL2A1 and ACAN, thus suppressing inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in NPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; (P.Z.); (Y.G.); (Q.S.); (H.C.)
| | - Jiahui He
- The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, China;
| | - Yanchi Gan
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; (P.Z.); (Y.G.); (Q.S.); (H.C.)
| | - Qi Shang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; (P.Z.); (Y.G.); (Q.S.); (H.C.)
| | - Honglin Chen
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; (P.Z.); (Y.G.); (Q.S.); (H.C.)
| | - Wenhua Zhao
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China; (W.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Gengyang Shen
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China; (W.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Xiaobing Jiang
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China; (W.Z.); (G.S.)
| | - Hui Ren
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China; (W.Z.); (G.S.)
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Du X, Liang K, Ding S, Shi H. Signaling Mechanisms of Stem Cell Therapy for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2467. [PMID: 37760908 PMCID: PMC10525468 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the primary clinical risk factor for low back pain and the pathological cause of disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and spinal deformity. A possible approach to improve the clinical practice of IDD-related diseases is to incorporate biomarkers in diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and prognosis prediction. IDD pathology is still unclear. Regarding molecular mechanisms, cellular signaling pathways constitute a complex network of signaling pathways that coordinate cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. Recently, stem cells have shown great potential in clinical applications for IDD. In this review, the roles of multiple signaling pathways and related stem cell treatment in IDD are summarized and described. This review seeks to investigate the mechanisms and potential therapeutic effects of stem cells in IDD and identify new therapeutic treatments for IDD-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Haifei Shi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (X.D.); (K.L.); (S.D.)
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Li Z, Dai A, Yang M, Chen S, Deng Z, Li L. p38MAPK Signaling Pathway in Osteoarthritis: Pathological and Therapeutic Aspects. J Inflamm Res 2022; 15:723-734. [PMID: 35140502 PMCID: PMC8820459 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s348491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is an aging-related joint disease, pathologically featured with degenerated articular cartilage and deformation of subchondral bone. OA has become the fourth major cause of disability in the world, imposing a huge economic burden. At present, the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of OA are still unclear. Complex regulating networks containing different biochemical signaling pathways are involved in OA pathogenesis and progression. The p38MAPK signaling pathway is a member of the MAPK signaling pathway family, which participates in the induction of cellular senescence, the differentiation of chondrocytes, the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) and the production of pro-inflammatory factors. In recent years, studies on the regulating role of p38MAPK signaling pathway and the application of its inhibitors have attracted growing attention, with an increasing number of in vivo and in vitro studies. One interesting finding is that the inhibition of p38MAPK could suppress chondrocyte inflammation and ameliorate OA, indicating its therapeutic role in OA treatment. Based on this, we reviewed the mechanisms of p38MAPK signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of OA, hoping to provide new ideas for future research and OA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongchao Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aonan Dai
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Department of Sports Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenhan Deng
- Department of Sports Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Zhenhan Deng, Department of Sports Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, 3002 Sungang West Road, Shenzhen City, 518035, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13928440786, Fax +86 755-83366388, Email ; Liangjun Li, Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 161 Shaoshan South Road, Changsha City, 410018, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13875822004, Fax +86 731-85668156, Email
| | - Liangjun Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Zhenhan Deng, Department of Sports Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, 3002 Sungang West Road, Shenzhen City, 518035, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13928440786, Fax +86 755-83366388, Email ; Liangjun Li, Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 161 Shaoshan South Road, Changsha City, 410018, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13875822004, Fax +86 731-85668156, Email
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Gu M, Zhou W, Chen J, Zhao Y, Xie C, Zhou Z. RETRACTED: TRAF2 gene silencing induces proliferation and represses apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in rats with intervertebral disc degeneration. Life Sci 2021; 279:119670. [PMID: 34089727 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Concern was raised about the reliability of the Western blot results in Figs. 1E, 2G and 6C, which appear to have the same eyebrow shaped phenotype as many other publications tabulated here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/149EjFXVxpwkBXYJOnOHb6RhAqT4a2llhj9LM60MBffM/edit#gid=0). Concerns were also raised over the provenance of the flow cytometry plots in Fig. 8A. The journal requested the corresponding author comment on these concerns and provide the raw data. However the authors were not able to satisfactorily fulfil this request and therefore the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract the article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyong Gu
- Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force (Previous name: General Hospital of Jinan Military Command), Jinan 250031, China
| | - Weijie Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong, China
| | - Jianxin Chen
- Department of Neurology, First People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan 250031, Shandong, China
| | - Yihui Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Minzu Hospital of Jinan, Jinan 250031, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Xie
- Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force (Previous name: General Hospital of Jinan Military Command), Jinan 250031, China.
| | - Zhenyu Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force (Previous name: General Hospital of Jinan Military Command), Jinan 250031, China
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